Meet Shauna Rae: The Woman Who Looks Like An 8-Year-Old

Many people who see Shauna Rae think she’s just an average child. However, she’s not a little girl; she’s 22. Her growth was stunted after getting brain cancer, and she’s been adjusting to life as someone who’s less than four feet tall ever since. It’s not been easy for her, as her TLC series ‘I Am Shauna Rae’ shows.

Shauna Rae fought brain cancer as a baby and it affected her growth

Cancer affects a significant number of people and is often never an enjoyable illness to fight. Shauna Rae was only six months old when she had it in her brain, the diagnosis of which devastated her parents. After all, they’d barely even had time to start raising their daughter before there was a possibility she’d be leaving them.

Thankfully, the treatment was successful, which is how she’s still with us all these years later. However, it didn’t come without side effects. Fighting the disease left Shauna’s pituitary gland dormant, a significant issue because this is part of the brain that influences growth. The damage meant that Shauna Rae didn’t grow at the same rate as those around her, which is why she’s now only three feet ten inches tall.

Brain cancer treatments affect the body’s ability to grow in certain ways

Shauna isn’t the only one to have experienced side effects like this. It’s actually not uncommon for children to experience slowed growth when they fight off cancer. The impact is generally the result of chemotherapy, although it’s often only short-term. It typically becomes more of a long-term problem when medication is given in high doses.

That’s also the case if the patient goes through radiation therapy, as this has the potential to damage both bones and the pituitary gland. The younger a child is, the likelier they are to be significantly affected by this. That explains why Shauna Rae has struggled with growing throughout her life because she was only six months old when she was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Shauna’s mental health took a turn in junior high because of her stunted growth

At first, Shauna Rae didn’t really notice that she wasn’t growing as much as everyone else. She told People magazine that it wasn’t until kindergarten that the realization began to hit her. However, at that point, it still wasn’t a big deal for the TLC star. She apparently managed to cope with it well enough until junior high, at which point her mental health began to take a turn.

That’s understandable, given she was entering her teen years. Most people struggle at this point in their lives with how they look and wanting to fit in. If Rae was noticeably smaller than the rest of her classmates, it’s perhaps no surprise that she felt like an outsider. All she wanted was to be like everyone else.

She learned at 16 that her body wouldn’t grow anymore

Shauna might have been smaller than everyone else in her class, but she didn’t give up hope that things would change one day. She expected a growth spurt to come at some point, she just figured it would be later than everyone else. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she wished for it, it was never going to come.

Rae was reportedly given the bad news when she was 16, with a doctor confirming that she’d never breach the four foot mark. Shauna admitted to People magazine that this hit her hard, referring to it as “the lowest time of my life.” She said it was like “a hammer crashing into glass” because she’d always assumed she’d continue to grow. Thankfully, it’s something she’s now come to terms with.

There’s so much that Shauna can’t do which others take for granted

With Shauna now stuck at this height forever, there’s a lot that she struggles to do. Even something as simple as getting items off a shelf is usually impossible without assistance. At home, she can use stools and other furniture to climb onto the counter and get what she needs. However, in a grocery store, that’s not so much an option.

Something else that frequently proves an obstacle is getting into age-restricted places. From tattoo studios to gyms to bars, Rae is constantly questioned about her age and sometimes denied access when people don’t believe her. There’s not much that Shauna can do if someone refuses her, so she just has to embrace the moments when others don’t treat her like a child.

She has to stay close to her family because she needs so much help

With certain tasks being more of a challenge for her, Shauna currently relies on her family to make life easier for her. That currently means living at home because it’s the best way for everyone to be there for her. If she were to move out, she probably couldn’t go far because she’d still need her family to be close by.

There’d be no point traveling to somewhere several states away as Shauna would be entirely on her own if she ran into any issues. So, she stays close to her loved ones and lets them do what they can to overcome any obstacles she runs into. They’ve been doing it throughout her life so they’re more than accustomed to this by now.

Rae is apparently eager for some independence now that she’s an adult

While Shauna might need her family’s help a lot of the time, that doesn’t mean she’s not desperate for independence. In fact, the TLC star is hopeful that her TV show will be a positive step forward in her quest to become her own person. She loves her family and is grateful for all they’ve done, but now she’s in her 20s, she doesn’t want to have to rely on others all the time.

It doesn’t help that her parents can sometimes be overprotective. For instance, Rae often feels like she gets interrogated when she goes out without them, even though she’s an adult now. Her mom herself has admitted to not wanting to let Shauna go because she’s afraid, but she knows she needs to eventually.

Her stepfather filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2012

The TLC reality series will hopefully do a lot of good for Shauna’s family, given the troubles they’ve had in the past. Not only could it help Rae become more independent, but it could also ease any financial issues that might still be plaguing her stepfather. In 2012, Mark Schrankel filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy after he owed $204,643.58 to his creditors.

A significant amount of this money – $79,000 – came from credit card bills, with $13,176 stemming from a personal loan. Schrankel had reportedly taken this money out to pay for essentials like food and clothing, as well as vacation expenses and gifts. At the time, the couple’s monthly income was apparently around a quarter of what they were spending every month.

Three years later, Mark filed for chapter 13 bankruptcy

It was only a couple of months after filing for bankruptcy that it was discharged. However, that didn’t mean the family’s money worries were over. It was only three years later that Mark repeated the process, only this time it was for chapter 13 bankruptcy. His debts amounted to slightly less than before, but it was still a significant figure of $181,608.85.

As a result, the family home allegedly went into foreclosure. On the plus side, the difference between the pair’s monthly income and monthly spending were much better this time around. The former was actually more than the latter at $4,386.54 to $3,096.67. Unfortunately, this still wasn’t enough to save them from bankruptcy, with their case eventually closing in early 2016.

People criticize’ Shauna’s mom whenever the TLC star puts on makeup

Being in her 20s, Shauna is free to do pretty much whatever she wants. She’s not a child anymore, so there aren’t really restrictions on how she can live her life. However, because of their size, some of her behavior gets misconstrued. Even something as simple as putting on makeup can cause controversy because people see her and think that she’s too young for that stuff.

To make matters worse, it’s not usually Rae who people criticize but rather her mother, Patty. They accuse her of being a bad parent for letting someone so young get dolled up the way that Rae does. Although Patty explains the situation, some strangers accuse her of lying, which really aggravates Shauna. Why would they lie about that?

Her mom gets upset by the criticism and hates that Shauna will have to deal with this forever

By this point, Patty is used to the finger pointing. However, that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to deal with. Shauna admits on the TLC show that she thinks the criticism gets to her mother. She says the woman covers it up well but that if it happens, it’s something that stays on her mind until she falls asleep.

Patty seemingly confirms this, adding that she feels incredibly guilty that it’s something that’s going to happen throughout her daughter’s life. Even if she’s not there to face the criticism of strangers, people will still judge Shauna because she looks like a child doing adult things. That’s never going to change, which means she could be in her 40s and still be treated like a rebellious kid.

There’s a fear that Shauna’s cancer will return one day

This isn’t the only thing that upsets Shauna’s mom. Patty also lives in fear of her daughter’s brain cancer returning one day. Whenever someone has this illness, there’s always a risk it will return. In Rae’s case, the doctors told her mom after treatment that it will always be a concern, so she’s spent the last two decades afraid of when that day will come.

She doesn’t seem to view it as a possibility, but rather a certainty. She just doesn’t know when it’s going to happen. Having that mindset is partly why she’s so afraid to let her daughter go because she has no idea how much time they’ve got left together. Hopefully, it’ll still be many more years.

Shauna’s recently had a lot of trouble with migraines, prompting some cancer fears

Shauna undoubtedly won’t have put her mother’s mind at ease with the revelation that she has headaches every day. In the show, she confesses to her doctor that she frequently wakes up and goes to bed with a migraine. She admits that it’s something she’s become accustomed to, but, given her history, it’s obviously a potential cause for concern.

The doctor certainly felt so after Shauna admitted that these headaches are a daily occurrence. They recommended that Rae see a neurologist to get a better understanding of what’s going on in her head. While the problem could just be an issue with migraines, it’s not worth risking it when she’s had brain cancer once already. It’s unclear what the outcome of that appointment was.

Buying clothes can be a nightmare for Shauna because nothing fits her properly

Being in her 20s, Shauna should be able to walk into the adult section of any clothing store and find something to take home. Unfortunately, because of her stunted growth, nothing ever fits her properly. This is a real hassle and something that caused quite an issue when the TLC star went shopping for a bridesmaid dress.

Unsurprisingly, all the outfits that caught Shauna ‘s eye didn’t fit her at all. While adjustments could have been made to fix this, Rae believes that doing this can ruin the fabric. So, she prefers to buy clothing that already works with her shape. However, even when she tried on some of the junior bridesmaid dresses at the store, they still didn’t fit her properly.

Shauna now sews a lot of her clothes because it’s easier than finding stuff that fits

The frustration of clothes not fitting properly has made shopping unnecessarily difficult. On the plus side, though, it has prompted her to learn a new skill. Shauna apparently knows her way around a sewing machine now because she figured it made more sense to create her clothes from scratch.

She’s apparently been doing this since she was 16, so she’s had plenty of years of practice at this point. Of course, it’s not a perfect solution because sometimes Shauna wants to be able to just buy her outfits instead of making them all. However, it does ensure that she doesn’t always have to wear the same stuff if she can’t find anything that fits in the store. Sewing is definitely never a bad skill to have in your arsenal.

She meets people before dating them to ensure they know what they’re getting into

Something else that can be quite problematic for Shauna is dating. As an adult, she wants to be able to go out on dates and potentially find a special someone to build a life with. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done at her size. The TLC star hasn’t always had great experiences with dating in the past, which is why she now has a very specific way of going about things.

Shauna told People magazine that she prefers to meet someone before they go on a date together because she needs to know how they’ll react to her. She feels it’s pointless dating them if they can’t handle being seen together in public or aren’t prepared to help with the various issues she has.

Rae has a tendency to attract creeps, especially on a night out

Attracting people isn’t necessarily something that Shauna’s ever had a problem with. The issue is the kind of guys who seem to flock to her. The TLC star has been very open about the fact that she gets a lot of “creeps” who want to date her. It’s a tough road for Rae to navigate because her looking like a child means there are a lot of predatory people who might want to spend time with her.

Avoiding these types of men is part of the reason why Shauna likes to meet them before going on a date. It’s also why she typically steers clear of those who try to chat her up in a bar or club, as they’re usually the ones who get inappropriate quickly.

It might be a while before Shauna finds a guy who ticks all the necessary boxes

With any luck, being on ‘I Am Shauna Rae’ will hopefully help the TLC star to find a partner who’s not a creep and who can handle whatever she throws at them. Finding such a person may take time, though. If people accuse Patty of being a bad mom because they think she’s letting a child wear makeup, who knows how people will react if they see an adult man dating Shauna.

The reality star needs to know that anyone she dates can handle that kind of attention. She also needs to know that they don’t see her as a child, just because she looks like one. Plenty of guys apparently talk down to her like she’s a kid and Shauna is not here for it.

Being so small might affect Shauna’s ability to have a baby

Once Shauna’s dating life picks up, she’ll likely eventually start to think about their future together. This may include marriage and children, the latter of which is already on the TLC star’s mind. However, that’s not because she’s eager to become a mom right now. Instead, she’s worried about the realities of her being pregnant and giving birth when she’s less than four feet tall.

She doesn’t want to wait until she’s ready to have children to find out she can’t, which is why she voiced her concerns about this with a doctor on the show. One of the biggest issues for Shauna is the fact that her stunted growth has nothing to do with her genetics. So, if she has a baby, it will be average-sized.

There’s also fears that chemotherapy may have affected her egg production

For someone that’s three foot, ten inches tall to have an average-sized baby is quite a concern. There might not be enough space in Shauna’s body to accommodate the child, meaning that becoming pregnant could actually put her life at risk. Of course, there’s always a possibility that she might not be able to have children anyway.

The doctor told the TLC star that chemotherapy can impact the amount of eggs that a woman has in her body. It’s possible that by receiving that treatment to deal with her brain cancer, she might have significantly limited the time she has left to have a baby. The doctor recommended that Shauna visit an OB-GYN so she could find out more about these potential issues.

Shauna’s also worried about the mental and emotional strain of having a child

While there are definitely physical concerns if Shauna ever falls pregnant, that’s not the only thing that the reality star is worried about. Rae is also worried about what the mental impact of having a child will be, especially because they’ll almost certainly grow taller than her. She admits that this will have “a huge emotional toll” that she’s worried may affect her ability to parent.

What’s more, there’s concern that once the child is bigger than her, they might not view her as a proper authority figure. Add to that the struggles she already faces which will only intensify once she’s a mom, and it’s perhaps no wonder Shauna is scared. However, if Shauna decides she wants to have children, then these obstacles aren’t going to stop her.

Rae isn’t a fan of the gym because it’s where she experiences a lot of judgment

After 22 years, Shauna is more than accustomed to people giving her odd looks. However, while she might be used to it, there are still some places where she hates having all eyes on her. The gym is one of them. She admits on the TLC show that it’s one of the places she experiences the most judgment, even though they often claim not to be judgmental places.

Something that really gets on the reality star’s nerves is when people call her “cute” while she’s using the gym equipment. Shauna doesn’t appreciate being talked down to in any situation, especially in a place that’s as exposing as the gym. Unfortunately, it’s just another thing she has to take in her stride.

Shauna did have a positive experience at the gym after talking with a trainer

Thankfully, while the gym is far from Shauna’s favorite place in the world, she did have a positive experience there recently. The TLC series showed Rae and her stepfather speaking with a trainer, and the former walked away from the meeting feeling optimistic. The trainer told Shauna that a lot of gym equipment isn’t designed for most women, so there are plenty of people who struggle with using it.

Knowing that she wasn’t the odd one out for once was definitely a nice change. Moreover, the trainer shared that there are only a few things there that can’t really be accommodated for someone of her size. It was a breath of fresh air for Shauna to know that her height wasn’t going to be a huge obstacle for once.

She doesn’t always enjoy going to the beach because other children want to play with her

Somewhere else that Shauna doesn’t love to spend a lot of time is the beach. It’s not the sun, sand, and sea that she has a problem with, but rather the children there. It seems that it’s here more than anywhere else that kids mistake her for someone their age. She says she finds it “really weird” because the children are drawn to her purely because of how she looks.

She tries to be nice and respectful about it, sometimes joining in with them if they ask. However, she feels she always needs to get permission from their parents first, given her age. She also finds it more uncomfortable dealing with boys because they apparently get confused by her body or get a crush on her.

Finding a bathing suit that fits comfortably is also an issue at the beach

Trying to cope with kids thinking she’s younger than she actually is can make a trip to the beach something of a nuisance. However, that’s not the only thing that Shauna finds a little off-putting about a day at the coast. It seems that Rae also has trouble with bathing suits, with the TLC unable to find something that suits her body perfectly.

Due to her size, she always has to buy something from the children’s department. Unfortunately, Shauna’s found that these outfits typically either fit comfortably at the top but not the bottom, or vice versa. The fact that her body is more mature than that of a standard child can definitely make buying a bathing suit a real nightmare.

She engages in more mature activities and behavior to make herself feel like an adult

At her age, there’s not much that Shauna can’t do now. She’s certainly allowed to enjoy a few drinks without breaking the law, something that the TLC star definitely does now. The series has shown her doing exactly this a couple of times, along with other more adult activities. The reason behind Rae’s behavior is apparently to help herself feel like she is the age that she is.

She admits that it was never about convincing other people that she’s an adult, but rather convincing herself. Shauna also confesses that she’s long been a fan of edgier lifestyles, which is why she has tattoos and does some of the stuff she does. Unfortunately, her behavior hasn’t necessarily won her a ton of fans.

People criticized her behavior for being “irresponsible” and “not cool”

When some viewers saw her engaging in this behavior on ‘I Am Shauna Rae,’ they weren’t necessarily thrilled about it. People took to social media to criticize the reality star for doing this stuff, given her history. Someone accused her of being “irresponsible” for drinking “with a medical condition and history of cancer.”

They advised her that if she wanted to feel more like an adult, she should “start making better life choices.” Some users remarked that her behavior “isn’t cool” and said that “being who you are is cool.” Of course, not everyone is critical of Shauna’s behavior. The TLC star isn’t really doing anything that thousands, if not millions, of other people her age aren’t doing as well. She’s just being your average young adult.

She lost her grandfather in 2021 so she decided to get a tattoo to honor the man

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a happy occasion. Unfortunately, it was anything but for Shauna in 2021. That was the day her grandfather – affectionately known as Pap Pap – passed away. It’s never easy losing a relative, especially one that’s always been there for you. Although Rae admits that her grandfather wasn’t always around, they had a special bond because he never treated her any differently.

Her being smaller than everyone else didn’t mean a thing because he loved her. To honor the man, Shauna decided to get a tattoo on her right arm of a cherry half-covered in chocolate. This was apparently his favorite candy. She also wanted the date that he passed away and the words “Pap Pap” above and below the image respectively.

Shauna could relate to her tattoo artist because they both get stereotyped

Shauna went to get this tattoo on the TLC show, and it resulted in quite a heartwarming moment between her and the tattoo artist. Initially, the guy was thrown off by Shauna’s size and wondered how old she was. However, any concerns soon disappeared as the pair began talking and discussing ideas for the tattoo.

Rae felt a real bond with the artist because he understood her experience, just from a different perspective. Being such a large man, he’d experienced similar “pre-judgmental experiences” with people stereotyping him before they even spoke to him. That’s something Shauna deals with everyday, and as the two talked about it on the show, they really connected. The artist said himself he’d love to hang out with Rae because “she’s a firecracker.”

She has several tattoos already, all of which hold a special meaning

This tattoo honoring her grandfather isn’t the first piece of art that Shauna’s had inked on her body. She actually has several other tattoos that she’s gotten since it became legal for her to get them. One of them is a picture of two elephants with their trunks intertwined on her shoulder blade.

This is in honor of her surviving brain cancer, as the animal’s trunks are forming the cancer symbol. On her left arm, she has two doves facing one another which is inspired by a jewelry box that belonged to her grandmother. The woman apparently passed away when Shauna was ten. Finally, she has a stencil of a polar bear on her ribs which she got because it’s her favorite animal.

Shauna and her parents believe that the TLC star is like a polar bear

That last tattoo is significant because not only does Shauna love polar bears, but she also feels like she is one. Not in the literal sense, of course, but she believes that she shares certain traits with the animal. On the TLC show, she explains her reasoning for this, saying that polar bears appear “cute and cuddly” but are also quite “introverted.”

Her parents added to this, with her stepfather saying that she’s “cute and she seems very sweet” but also she can “devastate you.” Patty made the remark that her daughter is “ferocious,” suggesting she’s not afraid to fight back if someone gets on the wrong side of her. That’s probably a trait Shauna has picked up from having people look down on her for so long.

She had to convince her mom that it would be okay if she got a tattoo

Shauna loves her tattoos but it seems like she had a bit of a fight on her hands when she first wanted to get one. Her mom apparently put up some resistance, with her main concern being the looks she’d get from other people. She feared that strangers would assume that Rae was a child with a tattoo, which would potentially lead to more judgment.

As Shauna says, though, she’s been judged her entire life, so why shouldn’t she be allowed to do what she wants? What’s more, getting body art was a big step forward in her quest to seek independence. It was such an adult move to make that it helped her not feel like she was a child, despite her size.

Shauna hopes her show will teach people to treat her like a normal human being

With any luck, being on ‘I Am Shauna Rae’ will help teach people not to treat the TLC star differently anymore. That’s apparently one of the major things she wants viewers to take away from the series. According to Shauna, “people don’t treat me like a normal human being,” and she’s ready for that to stop.

Just because she hasn’t grown as tall as an average human, that doesn’t mean that she’s not as smart, skilled, or responsible as anyone else her age. She might have trouble doing certain activities, but that doesn’t mean she’s incapable and needs wrapping up in cotton wool. Shauna is a woman eager for independence who just wants the world to treat her like she’s five feet tall.

She also wants the series to be positive and empowering for others

This isn’t the only thing that Shauna wants people to take away from the TLC show. She’s also hopeful that viewers will see the series as something positive, particularly for those who can relate to her issues. During an interview with TribLive, she said that she hopes to reach out to those with “dwarfism or other handicaps” who sometimes feel they don’t have “anyone in their corner.”

She’s eager for the reality series to be a “positive, body-empowering, female empowerment kind of thing” because that’s apparently the kind of person Rae is. It’s always good to have some feel-good TV out there, especially if it also teaches viewers how to be more respectful of those around them. The series may well have a bright future ahead of it.

The show’s future is currently unclear, though it may well be renewed for another season

Of course, it’s not clear yet exactly what the future looks like for this show. ‘I Am Shauna Rae’ only debuted in January 2022, so there’s no confirmation yet on whether there will be a second season. It’s possible that TLC will feel that the show has achieved its aim already and cancel it.

However, given the program’s apparent popularity and the longevity of many of this network’s series, there’s a good chance it will be renewed. ‘I Am Shauna Rae’ offers a perspective that isn’t seen on other mainstays like ‘1,000-lb Sisters,’ ‘Sister Wives,’ and ‘90-Day Fiancé. Even shows it bears some similarities too, such as ‘I Am Jazz’ and ‘7 Little Johnstons,’ it’s different enough from to warrant sticking around for a while.